Helpful stuff I've learned this year

[Mike Mecredy]

Here's few things I'd like to pass on to you guys that I've figured out that saved me money and more importantly time;

Did you realize you needed an extra .025 on you laminations and you're ready to glue up?  Keep on hand a veneer pack from Woodcraft.com Get the maple pack, you get 6 sheets of .025 veneer, 6" wide and 48" long for about $16. Just cut them down to the proper width with a razor wheel and one of those clear plastic, straight edge gizmos, that ladies use to cut their fabric. I use them for laminations when building my pup recurves.

Want cheap arrows?   www.woodcrafter.com  sells 100 5/16 48" birch dowels for around $20. They are tough as nails and can spine up around 50# depending on how short you need them.  

For cheap fletching, get a little chopper from Gateway, $32, make perfect fletchings with little effort. (But  remember they charge $10 for orders under $100, it's actually worth it to buy 3 different shapes, ones you like, one for kids and one to get just incase you want to send me a gift)

But don't get you full length feathers from Gateway; they charge $10 for orders less than $100, plus their full length grinds are $31.50.  Instead get them from sagittarius archery,  Full length are $25 for 100, better quality and no minimum order, and they deliver them fast.

For a quick durable easy self bow, go to the local harware or farm supply store and get a hickory wheel barrow handle, usually $10, they are cut square and you can rip it in half, "z"  splice the two peices and make a quick easy bow.  Back it with bamboo if you wish, but rawhide will work.  

Speaking of bamboo, I just bought 25 2"x 6'long
dry, and flawless slats from Cali bamboo for $122 shipped to my door.  Don't need that much? Put some you don't want on the bow materials list on the classifies and make a few bucks.  At $4.88 each you can sell them for $10.  

Want to make a fast easy longbow?  get one 2" strip of glass from Binghams projects, split it up the center with tin snips (not a saw, you'll waste .025) Use some masking tape, draw a line up the center, and using tin snips the glass cuts very easy.  Hint, use an 18" riser, shallow d/r form, .415 thick, 68" long, you get a 1" wide bow, that draws 45# @ 28"  for around $50. (remember that whell barrow handle? use the scraps for a riser)  

Replacement snap off blades for box cutters make excellent scrapers.  I've been using the same one about everyday since August.  $2.50 for a 6 pack.  

Dollar store supperglue gel works great for sealing oil woods (bocote, cocobolo etc) so any finish will set up.  they cost $1.00 for 3 tubes.  A tube will more than cover a riser.  

That same glue is all I use to fletch arrows too.  Works for points and nocks too.

If yo want to take the bowyering a step further, get  drum grinder from toolsnow.com, I paid $450 for mine and been making my own lams for about a year now.  

But mine aren't as good as Kenny's.  Kenny's custom archery makes the best laminations without a question.  I'm involving customer service, quality, he is all encompassing the best out there.  

Guys, that's all I can think of for now, feel free to add your own, question my mental state, or comment.  Merry Christmas.

[Russell S.]

some things i learned (this is my first year so there is alot!!)

Used tools are readily available from online classified adds like Craigs list.  50$ and some patients can get you almost any power tool you want!

with time, care, research and ingenuity homemade tools can be just as effective as store boughtones, plus they can be custom tailored to your needs.

if its pretty and works good on bows spar urethane will not set up on it, however shelac and superglue will set up on anything.

when they say wear protective equipment we cutting/grinding cocobolo they meant it, even if you are one of those guys that NEVER wears protective equipment.  


Don't buy locally available band saw blades.  for 17$ or so Suffolk machinery will make you GOOD timber wolf blades that will last about 5 times longer then skip tooth blades, the will cut smoother and track less.

your wife's meat thermometer needs to be replaced and her old one is calibrated to read right in the range you want to bake your bows at.  for 5$ a piece you can put more then one in your  oven and ensure you dont develop gradient temps.

Kenny's lams are better then mine...  I don't know if they are the best out there cause i would not buy them from anyone else after doing business with him.

[DVSHUNTER]

a few of mine...buildin bows is an addiction not a hobby.  Building bows becomes less tense after you break one.  The weather in marshall,mo is never to hot in july.  Most tools needed can and shoul be bought used. Always take another look before scraping.  And kids bow are just as good as adult ones in the eyes of the beholder.

[soopernate]

Things I have learned...listen to those who have gone before and tried something you want to do.

Not everyone who espouses to KNOW something has actually tried it...(I still see people saying you cannot build a bamboo backed red oak bow even though I have one and have seen many other examples)

When using a belt sander use the round end for quick(and I mean QUICK) wood removal and the flat to smooth it out

Limb twist is almost as bad as limb hinges when it comes to damaging bows

Kenny is DEFINITELY the man when it comes to lams

KIDS LOVE BOWS!!!!

A.D.D. can be beneficial when working on bows as it keeps you from working past the point of frustration....my attention span is so short that I dont really have time to make a serious mistake lol.

A .99 cent butcher knife from Goodwill makes a super scraper

The TILLERING GIZMO is the most useful tool there is for building bows.

READ EVERY BUILDALONG AT LEAST THREE TIMES TO EXTRACT THE INFO YOU WANT.